1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates generally to a bumper apparatus for bowling lanes, and in particular, to a convertible gutter apparatus that functions both as a gutter in a lower position and a bumper in a upper position, and includes illumination sources disposed about the gutter and bumper surfaces.
2. The Prior Art
Background
Bowling is a popular game, attracting millions of participants to bowling alleys each year. To promote bowling to a wider audience, bowling alley operators desire to market bowling to children. However, children and other groups may have trouble throwing a bowling ball successfully down the alley, resulting in the frustration of having the ball fall into the gutter.
To prevent a bowling ball from falling into the gutter, bumpers may be installed to direct the ball back into the lane and ultimately to the pins. However, bumpers of the prior art often require personnel to manually install or raise the bumpers, or comprise upright gates that may be raised to function as bumpers. Such prior bumpers may not direct the ball back into the lane in a consistent and predictable manner, or may be unable to withstand the impact from a harder thrown ball.